Huawei’s Phone Battery Charges to Half in 5 Minutes

Battery life has long been the bottleneck of mobile device improvement.

While much of the focus has been on creating batteries that last longer, charging time is also an important part of the equation. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could juice up your phone in a few minutes instead of a few hours?

Earlier this week, smartphone giant Huawei posted a video of their new charging technology. The current version relies on new battery tech as well as a custom charger, although presumably if they bring this to market it will work with a more convenient charger.

The video shows a smartphone battery of standard capacity being charged to 48% in exactly 5 minutes.

The tech involves the custom charger seen in the video, and a special anode for the battery, involving non-carbon “heteroatoms” and a graphite coating, to maximize speed without reducing the battery’s lifespan.